


Dream of the Archer

by FireOpal (Raven_At_The_Writing_Desk)



Series: Random Cayrd and Frias [12]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-10 16:52:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18664450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_At_The_Writing_Desk/pseuds/FireOpal
Summary: a bit of a prequel, probably just another AU, but what called Frias into space, when all his other brothers dreamed of a life on Laot? This is just an idea, based on a song I love.





	1. Venom of the Callahop

**Author's Note:**

> Based on "Dream of the Archer" by Heart.

Dan stalked beside Frias, proud and eager that he was the only hunter that could keep up with Frias. They moved silently in the woods, the soft fading light creating an almost magical atmosphere as they tracked their prey. It would be a glorious hunt, and after the beast fell, well, Dan smiled at his plans for ‘after’.

Frias moved beside him nearly silent. The two of them like shadows, one tall and pale, the other shorter, athletically chubby, and completely absorbed in the hunt. Dan admired that most in Frias, how he could tune out the world and focus solely on his prey. Frias’ handsome face was relaxed but serious as he stalked the tracks of the beast.

The sacred Caalahop, a beast who’s venom was potent enough to kill an adult, yet was used by the elders to make a sacred wine that could send the curious and, to Dan’s mind, the stupid on an inward vision quest. Dan put little faith in the religion of the elders. His generation had been raised in the shadow of the galactic resorts and multi-species tourists. They knew there was more to the universe than just their own tiny planet, and if that was true, then the religion of the old couldn’t be completely true.

  
Dan was glad Frias felt the same way. Sure there were things neither of them could explain very well, like why the sacred sands healed the injured, or how the darkness infected their species with murderous insanity. Still, if the stars were actually other planets and suns, and there were as many creatures out there as the trees in the forest, then how much truth could there really be in the myths of their creation and their ways of life?

  
Frias stopped on the trail he’d followed and looked back at Dan. There was a smart little smirk on his lips and he pointed up the way to a small clearing where a short-snouted beast pushed at the fallen logs and branches looking for the poisons mushrooms and moss that made up its diet. Dan took up position. Once the Caalahop was injured it would rage and charge the first living thing it saw. Normally something this dangerous Dan would be shot with a blaster rifle from a safe distance, but since the elders viewed the creature as sacred, they insisted it be hunted with the old weapons, spears, knives, and arrows.

  
Frias was armed with a long spear and finely curved blade made of the _mabangis na oso_ , a beast with bones so dense they were practically steal. Dan had a bow and arrows tipped with heads of the same beast and fletched with the sacred golden Gyntu bird. These were ritual weapons, and each was blessed and blood tied. Dan used to think that meant something as a kid, but now he viewed it as simply very high-quality weapons meant only for the best hunters. The best being himself and Frias, the ones chosen to retrieve the Caalahop.

  
Frias Prepared his spear. It was entirely possible he’d kill it with his first throw, Frias’ accuracy was legendary. Once the Caalahop charged him though, it was up to Dan to shot it dead. They were so in sync though, Dan felt the thrill of hunt radiate off Frias and it made him grin along with his partner, hopefully, his permanent partner after this.

  
Frias threw his spear and it sailed true, striking the Caalahop behind one tapered ear. It screamed a shrill cry of pain and shook its man-sized body. The spear held, embedded deep in it’s collar. The Caalahop narrowed red eyes on Frias and shrieked another challenge, charging straight for Frias. The man only stared the beast down, drawing his blade in a smooth motion and preparing to combat the Caalahop hand to claw.

  
Dan let his first arrow fly. He’d never let the Caalahop reach Frias. The first arrow bearly left the string and Dan seamlessly notched a second, letting it fly with the same deadly accuracy as the first. The arrows struck almost in unison, blooming from the eyes of the creature and blinding it. The Caalahop screamed again, rearing up, dwarfing Frias by almost a foot on its hind legs. Frias leapt at the same moment, bringing the blade across the beast exposed neck, slicing deep, a shower of magenta blood filling the space between and painting Frias. Dan rested a moment, admiring the victorious hunter before him. Frias looking powerful, anointed in blood and grinning ear to ear.

  
Dan scrambled from his position, wanting more than anything to kiss Frias, to pull the smaller man to him and declare his love. Truly they were meant to be together, this kill confirming what Dan had always believed. Frias turned to look at Dan as he ran forward, a look of heat and pride in his eyes. Stars, Dan wanted him.

  
The Caalahop gurgled, spasming one final time, it’s curved claws grabbing Frias’ ankle and pulling him off balance. Frias looked down on the beast, his blade flashing magenta in the dying light. He fell and buried the blade through the Caalahop’s skull, but not before the Caalahop sunk its teeth into Frias’ thigh.   
Dan felt his stomach turn to acid, panic replacing the euphoric high he’d just had. He screamed Frias’ name, blindly grabbing at the Caalahop’s head and pulling it off and away from Frias. He only had time to look into Frias’ horror wide eyes before the venom struck, and Frias’ sky blue eyes rolled back in his head, and his body began to seize up, trembling, then spasming frantically as the venom worked through his blood.

  
Dan could think of nothing more than to scoop up Frias and run, run all the way back to the village, back to Frias’ elder brothers. Franco would know what to do, he hoped, he prayed.

  
“Don’t die, my love, please don’t die,” Dan panted. It was all he could think as he ran for Frias’ life.


	2. The Silken Web

Darkness filled his room as Frias opened his burning eyes. His head rolled on his damp pillow and his head throbbed. There was someone in his room, and he couldn’t focus on them clearly. He got the sense they were tall, and their hair the color of red clay and good wood. Frias struggled to stand, something hurt in his leg, and the figure waited to let him find his feet.

  
“Who are ya?” He asked, pushing himself up and towards the figure. The figure moved away from him, it’s image blinking like a bad holo-projection. “Wait, who are ya?” Frias followed the figure out of his room, through the family rooms and outside to the moon-lit night.

  
The figure paused, looking up at the sky, their form ethereal. It turned its face towards Frias, and though he couldn’t make out any specific feature, he got the sense of pale eyes, a sharp-toothed smile, and olive skin. He was drawn forward to the figure, and it waited for him again, looking back up.

  
*They’re like diamonds set in silk,* the figure said in a voice as indistinct as it’s face. Frias looked up and admired the sparkling stars. The constellations he knew by heart to tell him when which animals would be best to hunt, and the individual stars that could guide him at night. He felt the tug of the stars like a string was somehow anchored to his heart.

  
Suddenly a long-tailed comet blazed across the sky. Frias smiled boyishly at the unusual sight, then noticed the comet was going the wrong way. It flew up, away from the planet, it’s tail a touch too yellow and downward pointing.

  
*Mine,* the figure said looking at Frias. *My ship to the stars.*

  
“Yer from space?” Frias asked the figure, but it moved away from him again walking towards the woods. Frias was confused, and normally something like this would irritate him. Yet he followed the figure like it was the most natural thing in the world for him.

  
The dark woods rose up before them, and the scent of evening dew on moss almost soothed the pain in Frias’ head, until he realized where the figure was going. He reached out to stop them. 

“No not there! It ain't safe!” 

Frias watched as the figure walk into the night woods, and Frias had a moment of fear. There was something dangerous in the woods, but what it was he couldn’t remember. Still, he felt an iron clad need to go after the figure, to protect them from whatever it was. He dashed to the entrance where the figure vanished and paused again. He couldn’t go in unarmed. 

Frias looked around frantically looking for anything. His eyes resting on the ritual bow and a spilled satchel of sacred arrows. He snatched them all up, he could grovel with the elders later, this was important. He ran into the woods following the strangely illuminated path the red haired figure took. He could see it veering off the trail. He knew that was bad, though why exactly he wasn’t sure. 

“Keep to the pathway!” Frias called to the figure. It looked back at him. “These woods are more than they seem!” Frias ran onward, leaping over branches and rocks as he pursued the figure that kept just out of his reach. “Did ya hear me?” 

He followed the undefined figure as it seemed to casually walk, yet still managed to keep ahead of him. Then Frias heard singing, soft at first, then more distinct. A woman was singing, even if the words were unknowable. The figure paused to listen and Frias felt a chill of dread. 

“No, she’s just calling ya away, don’t go!” Frias felt somewhat frantic by this. He didn’t even know who this was, and he was desperate to keep them. He ran after them, and stopped short, bringing the bow up, an arrow notched. 

The origin of the voice stood before him. A woman with hair so white it was practically silver. Her luscious naked form standing before a web spun of her own impossibly long hair. Frias felt his mouth gape as he looked from the beautiful woman to the intricate web. Detailed patterns were woven into the threads. Geometric shapes that Frias recognized as his village, his family, and his own name. The longer he looked, the more of the web he understood and saw that it was everything he knew, everything he had ever known. It was the pattern of his life woven into the web.

He knew the woman now, knew who she was. She was Laot, all of Laot, the plant, the village, and Frias’ life here. The figure stood listening to the woman singing, but they were separate as if not part of the same whole. Frias swallowed. 

*It’s beautiful,* the figure said. *I could be happy here.* The figure looked at him and Frias could sense a smile. Frias swallowed again, unsure why such a statement made him so happy. 

“You are not from here,” The woman looked at the figure. “You call him away. You take my hunter, my child. I won’t allow it.” She began to change, her mouth becoming mandibles, her blue eyes large spider eyes. Her hair rose around her wrapping like spider silk around the red-haired figure. It struggled, snapping at the spider woman, and Frias herd himself begging for her to stop. “You will leave me for this one!” She hissed. “I will destroy him before I allow that!” 

And then he woke, standing in the dark woods in the moonlight, the bow still humming in his hand and a sacred arrow still quivering in the tree before him.   
“Frias! Stars above, Frias!” Franco stood, his long pink hair pulled high in a tail, his fine robes replaced with a simple tunic and pants, his long-fingered hand gripping a long knife. Frias turned to look at his eldest brother, confusion and fever slamming into him at once. He made a strangled sound matching his deep feeling of loss, and he passed out again.


	3. On the Path He Stands

Franco paced in his small alcove office. Francisco tended to Frias and Friss kept watch over the baby. It was days like this that made Franco wish his parents hadn’t passed so suddenly, their mother would have known what to do. She always had. Franco tried his best to be the head of the family, and most days his brothers made it easy for him.

  
And then Frias would have an episode. 

Frias had been born during the last dark cycle as the red moon broke from the shadows of the planet. Such signs were already rumors when Frias was born, but before the tourists came and their world became a rich creatures playground, they were important. The oldest elders whispered about it, about how Frias would be more in-tune with the darkness. More susceptible to its call, yet more able to ride the madness and blood lust the darkness brought. 

Their mother had shushed the elders, unafraid of her child or the old ways. She’d always managed Frias with an experts hand, even when some of the elder's predictions began to come true. She’d skillfully taught him to heal with the old medicines and had Franco and their father teach him to hunt and fight. She almost fit Frias into a Laotian mold, then she died. 

Frias would have been a warrior once upon a time. He’d have been one of the few sent to settle disputes that diplomacy couldn't, or to hunt down oath breakers and uphold the elder's laws. But those were the old ways, the very old ways, and even before the tourists came, their people had begone to let those things go. They just weren’t a violent people, and warriors, true blood born fighters like Frias were rare. 

Now though, Frias was almost a burden. 

Franco loved him, all the brothers loved him. But Franco and Francisco could see the little ways Frias was different. He had no interest in others outside of his family. Not that he wasn’t friendly, he just didn’t really keep anyone close. Dan was the lone exception, and Franco suspected that was more because Dan insisted on being around Frias more than Frias sought out Dan. 

Frias had only two passions that Franco could discern, hunting, and sky gazing. He asked anyone he could about the world beyond their own, wondered about the stars and the species that lived on them. Wondered if he could hunt them if he could fight them if he could win. 

Franco sighed and sat down resting his head on his hand. He had once heard his father say something to his mother that had upset her greatly. “Frias is not of this world. He’s just nesting here, till he finds his wings.” 

Franco hadn’t understood why it upset their mother so much, but she’d become much more protective of Frias afterwords. Franco understood it now though. Frias was Laotian, as much as any of the Dagalak brothers were. But to say he was part of Laot? That was wrong. 

“He’s awake,” Fransisco said, poking his bushy head around the corner of the office. Franco looked up and saw the tiredness and sorrow in his brother’s eyes. “He’s raving.”

 


	4. And Awakens from His Dream

Frias woke, his fingers twitching for his blade. He felt disoriented. He looked frantically around the room, seeing Dan and Francisco near his bed, but he didn’t see the red-haired figure.

“Where are they?” Frias asked, desperate to see them. He needed to know who they were, why they had come.

“Frias,” Dan grabbed his hand looking wan and worried. Frias tried to pull his hand away but found he was too weak.

“The red-haired one, where are they?” Frias asked again looking around. Dan shook his own pale pink hair and looked at Francisco and his own fuchsia, identical to Frias’.

“There’s no one with red hair here,” Dan said softly, trying to reach out to pet Frias’ cheek. He pulled away, knowing the person had to be in here. He’d just seen them, hadn’t he?

“There were here, they had red hair, and the spider web, they weren’t part of mah web,” Frias looked around some more, slowly beginning to recognize where he was. Francisco slipped out of the room and Dan tried to keep Frias from sitting up. “I’m fine, Dan, really.” Frias rubbed his eyes, they were no longer burning. His head stung some, and his mouth was dry. Had he been in the throes of a fever?

“You wandered off,” Dan said softly. “you snuck out of the house last night and we found you in the woods.”

“I did?” So the Woods had been real. Was the woman real and the redhead? Franco appeared in the door to Frias’ room, he looked pail as well, but his expression was one of almost boredom. He walked into the room and stopped beside Dan.

“What were you doing last night?” Franco demanded in his cold tone. Dan winced and Francisco shook his head. Frias just looked at his eldest brother. He respected Franco immensely, but he didn’t fear him like the villagers seemed too. He simply loved and respected him, and hated to make Franco worry like he knew he did frequently.

“I was following a redhead. They went into the nigh woods, where the darkness dwells. I went in to stop them, and there was a woman who was singing, and she had a web spun out of her own hair. She tried to kill the redhead, so I…” Frias had to think about that last bit. “I had the sacred arrows, and I shot her.”

“You shot a _nytulog gamba_ ,” Franco said, and Frias felt his eyes go wide. The sleeping spiders were the size of grown men and their webbing was known to induce a coma like state by simply touching it. They were very dangerous, and no one hunted them alone. How had one gotten so close to the village?

“I, thought it was, something else,” Frias rubbed at his forehead, his head hurt more now. Franco reached out and placed a cool hand on his brow.

“You’re still warm,” Franco said, a little more warmth in his voice. “I’ll bring you some tea. You should try and rest more.”

“What happened to me? Why am I sick?” Frias tried to think back before last night, and all he could remember was a hunt. Franco looked at Dan and the other man withered under the stare.

“Dan can explain,” Franco said, ten swept out of the room with Francisco.

Frias looked at Dan who shook his head.

“We were hunting the Caalahop for the elders, and we’d killed it, but it bit you on the leg as it died.” Dan grabbed for Frias’ hand again. “I thought you would die. I ran with you all the way here, Franco was able to draw out the venom in time.”

So he’d been poisoned by the Caalahop. That explained the vision he’d had and the fever. Still, even knowing that now, Frias still felt an urgency to find the redhead. However, he had a new bit of clarity as well as to his place in this world. Frias laid back again sighing.

“Thank ya for saving me,” Frias squeezed Dan’s hand. “I owe ya.”

“No, I’ll always be there for you, Frias.” Dan bent closer to Frias, and Frias blushed from the proximity. Dan was handsome, considered one of the most attractive men in the village aside from his brother Franco. Frias had never considered Dan as anything more than a friend since he knew Dan could have his pick of mates.

Dan smiled at him and kissed Frias forehead softly. “Rest. We have some things to talk about when you’re better.”

Franco entered carrying a tray with hot tea and soup. Dan moved away so Franco could set the tray down beside Frias.

“Eat all of that. It’s medicine.” Franco pointed and Frias nodded. “The tea will make you sleepy, but you should be able to rest.”

“Thank ya, all of ya.” Frias picked up the soup and sipped the warm broth, feeling better just from the steam. Franco ushered everyone out of the room so Frias could eat and rest in peace. He finished everything and set the try aside, slipping into his covers. As he started to drift off though, he heard the redhead speak to him again.

* _We belong to the stars_ ,* the voice whispered, and Frias smiled as he drifted off. 


	5. Arrow Measured to His Goal.

Dan sat in the main room of the Dagalak house with Frias’ brothers. Franco cuddled the infant Freddy and Francisco entrained Friss. The last time they were all like this was the funeral. Dan didn’t like the atmosphere today. As much as Francisco kept cracking jokes, it still felt like something unpleasant was about to happen. 

Frias came out, dressed in pale colors that made his wan pallor more evident. Franco looked up and the room fell silent. Frias fidgeted a little, then took a breath. 

“I wanna go ta space,” He said. Dan felt his gut clench. Francisco sucked in a breath, and Franco tilted his head as if curious. 

“Why!” Dan rushed to his feet. Frias had never said anything like this before. Sure he knew the night sky like no one else, but that was a far cry from wanting to leave the planet. Frias looked at him with a sad expression and it did nothing to help the knot in his stomach. 

“I..”

“He had a vision quest, and now he needs to follow it,” Franco expertly adjusted the baby as he spoke, and Dan looked at him in horror. 

“He doesn’t even believe in any of that,” Dan said in a rush. “You don’t, right?” He looked back at Frias who was blushing and looking away. 

“I didn’t, but, it was so real,” Frias said, brushing a hand over his hair. 

“It was a _dream_ brought on by you almost dying!” Dan stepped towards Frias. He wanted to shake this ridiculous idea out of him. 

“I know, but…” Frias shook his head and Dan grabbed him. “Dan, what?” 

“No, you belong here,” Dan closed the distance between them, he didn’t care who was looking, he had to make Frias understand. “You belong with me!” and he kissed Frias in a hot possessive rush. Frias went still in his grip, not returning the passion at all. Dan pulled back with a small growl, and Frias just looked stunned. 

“Dan?” Frias tried to step back from him, and Dan held him in place. 

“You had a bad dream,” Dan said, trying to reason with him. “But this is real, I’m real. You don’t need to chase after a dream.” 

“Dan,” Frias pushed against Dan, and there was a brief moment when Dan felt he could hold on, then Frias forced him away with a frown. Dan staggered back and into the sold wall of Francisco. The older man clamped two meaty hands on his shoulders and held him in place. “I need ta go. It’s been calling me every night since the vision. I don’t believe in these things much, but the thought of going into space,” Frias gave Dan a sad little smile. “It makes me excited and fills me with joy.” 

“Then you should go,” Franco said, he hadn’t moved from his seat, but look he gave Dan was solid ice. 

Dan opened his mouth to argue, but the slight pressure of Francisco’s hands warned him. The Dagalak’s were a strong family, and even if Frias was the strongest of them, the other brothers were more than capable of tossing him out bodily. He swallowed back his retort and felt the knot become acid in his stomach. He looked back at Frias, a silent plea in his eyes.   
But Frias wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was looking at Franco with a big happy smile. 

“Ya mean it? Yer ok if I go?” Frias looked so excited it hurt Dan to think of why. 

“Of course,” Franco stood now, cradling the baby and looking dignified. “When one has a vision, they should follow it to its end. You survived death to not only save the village from an unknown threat but to see your own path in the night woods. You’re uniquely suited to leave this world and our sun. The darkness doesn’t have as strong a hold on you.”

“Don’t mean the darkness won't come fer him,” Francisco grumbled. He didn’t seem as enthusiastic about this either. “There’s no sun in space.” Franco waved a dismissive hand. 

“We’ll send him with sun-stones, and he’ll be sure to return frequently.” Franco pinned Frias with an authoritative glare. “Won't you.” 

“Yeah, of course!” Frias practically jumped with eagerness. Franco’s mouth twitched, and he nodded. 

“Good, then let’s prepare, I’m going to want a big party to send you off with.” Franco juggled the infant as Freddy made a grunting noise. Franco wrinkled his nose. “I’ll be back,” he said before sweeping out of the room with the gurgling baby.

Dan felt sick, but there was nothing for it. Franco gave Frias his blessing, and Frias was already talking excitedly about what he would take with him. Francisco mercifully led Dan to the door.   
  
"It don't mean much," Francisco said to Dan as he guided him out of the house. "He probably just wants ta go see a few things, have an adventure or two, and he'll be back here hunting before ya know it." Francisco shrugged. 

Dan stared blankly into the distance. He wanted to believe that, wanted to think it was only a phase. But he knew in his heart that wasn't true. And if Frias couldn't be kept from space, then Dan would just have to go too. 


	6. In His Mind There is a Vision.

Francisco paced in Franco’s alcove. 

“Ah don’t like this,” he said. Franco nodded his head sympathetically, but his mind was made up. 

“Frias doesn’t belong here, brother. Even you must see how he’s not like us.” There was a flash of anger in Francisco’s eyes and Franco held up a hand. “We both know he’s not meant for this lifestyle.” 

Francisco paced some more, flexing his large hands. Of all of the brother’s Francisco took after their father. A gentle giant with a soft heart. Francisco was the nurturer of the family, where Franco was the will. Franco was thankful for his brother’s gentle hand, but sometimes it got in the way of the more rational decisions. 

“We don’t need to protect him anymore, Francisco. He’s proved himself to be an adult in more ways than I can count. We’ve sheltered him long enough, and his very nature makes him a bad fit for this peaceful life.” Francisco, slowed his pacing as Franco spoke. 

“Our kind doesn’t do well in space,” Francisco grumbled. “And what of the slavers? What then?”

Franco smiled ruefully. “I pity them. Frias isn’t a slave to anything, not even the darkness.” 

Francisco passed and chuckled slightly. “Am just gonna worry is all. What do we do when he drags back this mysterious redhead?” Franco winced. An alien in the family? It wasn’t unheard of, many species were sexually compatible with Laotians. But in *His* family? 

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Franco said. How bad could it be? With any real luck, this person was just a figment of Frias’ imagination, and he’d eventually find someone like Dan to settle down with. 

“Sure,” Francisco said with a head shake. “Wait and see.”


	7. Gentle Romancers, Drink of Love So Sweet

Frias stood beside the transport shuttle, his rucksack on his shoulder and his lose clothing traded from more form fitting travel attire. He felt light despite the heavy bag. He touched the two new ear-cuffs high on his ear again, sturdy metal set with shimmering sun-stones. They held the energy of the Laotian sun, or so the elders said and would help him fend off the darkness. He didn’t even care about all that, he felt free and eager to begin his explorations. 

Space was calling him, and more, he just knew somewhere up there was someone who would truly understand him. He blushed at the thought. He was romantic enough to believe in true love and was eager to find it. The thought that he was leaving his home, his planet to not only have adventures in space but to possibly fall in love made his stomach flip. 

“You must returning regularly,” Franco’s face was set in stern lines. “You and the sun-stones need to be recharged.”

“I know,” Frias laughed, and Franco’s face softened some. “Ya don’t have ta worry, I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t trust no one,” Francisco said. “Keep an eye out fer slavers.”

Frias just laughed and hugged his brother tightly. 

“I promise ya’ll see me soon, and I’ll send messages frequently.” Frias couldn’t help grinning. He was too happy to be sad. 

“Will ya send me messages too?” Friss asked, wide-eyed and shy. Frias knelt down to look his younger brother in the eyes. 

“I’ll send ya one better,” Frias ruffled his hair. “I’ll send ya all the sweets I find, and ya can taste space with me.”  
Friss’ blue eyes sparkled. “Really?” 

“Yup, just wait. You’ll be the envy of the village.” Frias stood up again as the alert to board the ship howled. Franco reached out and laid his hand on Frias’ shoulder. 

“If you need us, we’ll come for you,” Franco said. Frias nodded his smile one of love and respect now. 

“I know. And if ya need me to come back, I will.” He returned the gesture and the two embraced. 

“Good luck. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Francisco said, joining the hug. 

“I will,” Frias said. 

With that, he turned from his brothers, his village, his planet and everything he knew. He stepped onto the ship, found his seat, and began his journey towards the Flame.

 

~~Fin~~


End file.
